Mother Lovin' Coffee Cake

If you love your mother, then make her this cake for brunch on Mother's Day. It will make up for all the times you sassed her, threw temper tantrums, upchucked on her pants, left sippy cups of milk to spoil under the car seat, told your teacher you were pretty sure she was 57 (when she was 30), kept her up all night nursing, kept her up all night wondering why you had broken your curfew, rolled your eyes at her, shrugged off a hug, crashed her car, or lied right to her face.

She's probably forgiven you already, but this very cake will make all those tortuous years she spent raising you almost a figment of her imagination.



This cake's rich and buttery crumb is moistened with a touch of sour cream and a perfect ribbon of brown sugar crumbs ripple through the center. Topped with more crumbs and a glaze made from pure maple syrup, this is honestly the best coffee cake I have ever tasted.


So delightful is this cake, that your mom, in a moment of pure bliss and delusion, might even ask you to move back in with her. You should politely refuse, of course, but offer to make this cake again sometime....And if you're lucky, your kids may make it for you someday too.

Sour Cream Coffee Cake
Recipe Adapted from Barefoot Contessa
Printable Recipe

Prep time: 20 minutes
Total time: 1 hour 20 minutes
Yield: serves 8-10

Ingredients:

12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) butter, room temperature
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
3 extra-large eggs, room temperature
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups whole fat sour cream
2 1/2 cups cake flour (not self-rising)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

Crumb Topping:

1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
3 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces

Icing:

1/2 cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoons real maple syrup

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease and flour a 10-inch tube pan.

2. Beat butter and sugar together in the bowl of a stand mixer for 5 minutes until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time and beat until thoroughly combined. Add vanilla.

3. In another small bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

4. Add half the flour mixture to the bowl and beat gently. Add the sour cream to the bowl and beat again. Then add the last half of the flour mixture, beating only until just combined.

5. Use a rubber spatula to scrape the sides and bottom of the mixing bowl and to make sure that all the ingredients are totally incorporated.

6. Make the crumb topping. Mix the brown sugar, flour, cinnamon and salt together in a small bowl. Add the butter and cut in using a pastry cutter, two knives or your fingers until small crumbs form.

7. Pour half the batter into the prepared tube pan and spread evenly around. Sprinkle half the crumb topping onto the batter, then top with the remaining batter. Carefully spread the batter around to cover the crumb topping, then sprinkle the top with the remaining crumbs.

8. Bake for 1 hour, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Cool on a rack in the pan for 30 minutes then carefully remove from the pan and transfer the cake to a serving plate, crumb side up.

9. Make icing by whisking powdered sugar with maple syrup until smooth. Drizzle over the top of the cake and serve warm or at room temperature.